Gray fox, possibly rabid, bites woman

By Jordan Carleo-Evangelist

Updated 10:22 pm, Friday, March 1, 2013

COHOES — Albany County health officials are urging residents in the Jefferson Avenue and Lansing Park area to be alert after a woman is believed to have been bitten Friday morning by a rabid gray fox.

Around noon Friday, a city police officer shot a fox found in woods near Lansing Park that authorities believe may be the same animal and which later tested positive at a state pathology lab for the disease.

Chief William Heslin said both the animal involved in Friday morning's bite and the one shot by police had a strong skunk odor, leading police to believe it is the same one. But because authorities cannot be certain, they are still urging people to be cautious, especially when it comes to pets and children playing outside.

"We think it's the one that's responsible but can't be 100 percent sure," Heslin said. "The one that we did get did have a strong odor."

The animal was taken to a state lab at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, where it tested positive for the virus that attacks the central nervous system and can be fatal to humans if left untreated.

Residents are urged to contact police if any other foxes — or other animals behaving strangely —are spotted in that area, Heslin said.

The woman was bitten around 7:30 a.m. by an animal behaving aggressively, leading authorities to suspect it may be sick. She was not seriously injured, said Mary Rozak, a county spokeswoman.

Also Friday morning, another man in the same area reported having been chased into his house by a fox, which Heslin said may have been the same animal.

Heslin urged residents to sign up on the city's website, www.cohoes.com, if they wish to receive alerts by phone or email about similar incidents in the future from the city's First Call Emergency Notification system.